Smart grid electricity usage monitoring

• US 9,212,933 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Jetcheva, Jorjeta G., Chen, Wei-Peng
• Primary Examiner(s): Barbee, Manuel L
• Application Number:
  US13/495,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20130338949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 702 60- 62, 340/870.02, 340/3.1, 340/3.3, 340/3.31, 340/3.32, 700/286, 700/291, 700/295
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/30 Smart metering, e.g. specially adapted for remote reading

Abstract

An electricity monitoring system of monitoring electricity usage within a unit. The electricity monitoring system may include a transceiver module configured to receive an electricity usage report from a smart device associated with a unit. The electricity usage report may indicate electricity usage for the smart device. The electricity monitoring system may also include a determination module configured to generate a unit electricity usage report for the unit based on the received electricity usage report. The unit electricity usage report may indicate electricity usage for the unit. The transceiver module may be further configured to transmit the unit electricity usage report to a provider of electricity for the unit.

Claims

1. An electricity monitoring system of monitoring electricity usage within a unit, the electricity monitoring system comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a smart device electricity usage report from a smart device associated with a unit, the smart device configured to consume electricity and to reduce electricity consumption based on a reduced usage request, the smart device electricity usage report indicating predicted electricity usage for the smart device as determined by the smart device, the predicted electricity usage based on one or more of an operational profile of the smart device and user interactions with the smart device that affects electricity usage of the smart device as recorded by the smart device; and

a determination module configured to generate a unit electricity usage report for the unit based on the received smart device electricity usage report, the unit electricity usage report indicating electricity usage for the unit,

the transceiver further configured to transmit the unit electricity usage report to a provider of electricity for the unit.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electricity detection module configured to detect electricity generation at the unit, wherein the determination module is configured to generate the unit electricity usage report based on the electricity generated at the unit.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electricity detection module configured to detect a change in electricity usage of a non-smart device associated with the unit, wherein the unit electricity usage report is based on the change in the electricity usage of the non-smart device.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a prediction module configured to predict future electricity usage of a device associated with the smart device and the unit based on the electricity usage report, wherein the determination module is configured to generate the unit electricity usage report based on the predicted future electricity usage of the device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the unit electricity usage report is based on past human behavior that affected an amount of electricity used by the unit.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a demand response module configured to select one or more of a plurality of smart devices that includes the smart device, the plurality of smart devices being associated with the unit, for reduced electricity usage based on an indication of reduced electricity supply from the provider of electricity for the unit.

7. A computer-implemented method of monitoring electricity usage, the method comprising:

receiving a smart device electricity usage report from a smart device associated with a unit, the smart device configured to consume electricity and to reduce electricity consumption based on a reduced usage request, the smart device electricity usage report indicating predicted electricity usage for the smart device as determined by the smart device, the predicted electricity usage based on one or more of an operational profile of the smart device and user interactions with the smart device that affects electricity usage of the smart device as recorded by the smart device;

generating a unit electricity usage report for the unit based on the received smart device electricity usage report, the unit electricity usage report indicating electricity usage for the unit; and

transmitting the unit electricity usage report to a provider of electricity for the unit.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving an indication of electricity generated at the unit, wherein the unit electricity usage report is based on the indication of the electricity generation at the unit.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising detecting a change in electricity usage of a non-smart device associated with the unit, wherein the unit electricity usage report is based on the change in the electricity usage of the non-smart device.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising predicting future electricity usage of a device associated with the smart device and the unit based on the electricity usage report.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the unit electricity usage report is based on past human behavior that affected an amount of electricity used by the unit.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving an indication of reduced electricity supply from the provider of electricity for the unit and selecting at least one smart device from a plurality of smart devices that includes the smart device and that are associated with the unit for reduced electricity usage.

13. A computer-implemented method of controlling electricity production, the method comprising:

receiving a unit electricity usage report of a unit, the unit electricity usage report based at least partially on a smart device electricity usage report from a smart device associated with the unit, the smart device configured to consume electricity and to reduce electricity consumption based on a reduced usage request, the smart device electricity usage report indicating predicted electricity usage for the smart device as determined by the smart device, the predicted electricity usage based on one or more of an operational profile of the smart device and user interactions with the smart device that affects electricity usage of the smart device as recorded by the smart device; and

adjusting electricity generation based on the unit electricity usage report.

14. A computerized smart device for use in an energy monitoring system and configured to consume electricity and to reduce electricity consumption based on a reduced usage request, the smart device comprising:

an interface module configured to receive user interactions with a smart device;

a prediction module configured to predict electricity usage for the smart device, the predicted electricity usage based on one or more of an operational profile of the smart device and user interactions with the smart device that affects electricity usage of the smart device as received by the interface module;

a determination module configured to generate a smart device electricity usage report indicating electricity usage for the smart device and the predicted electricity usage for the smart device as determined by the prediction module; and

a transceiver module configured to transmit the smart device electricity usage report to an energy monitoring system for a unit with which the smart device is associated.

15. The smart device of claim 14, wherein the unit comprises infrastructure that supplies electricity to the smart device.

16. The smart device of claim 14, wherein the electricity usage for the smart device is based on a predetermined amount of electricity usage for the operational profile of the smart device.

17. The smart device of claim 14, wherein the operational profile of the smart device comprises any one of:

a standby profile, an operations profile, a suspend operations profile, or a power-off profile.